All articles by Devin Gannon

December 23, 2024

Announcing 6sqft’s 2024 Building of the Year!

The votes have been counted. 6sqft's 2024 Building of the Year is One Williamsburg Wharf, one of five 22-story luxury residential towers coming to the Williamsburg waterfront. The Naftali Group-developed building easily nabbed first place, receiving 302 votes out of the total 1,294 votes cast. Designed by Brandon Haw Architecture, One Williamsburg Wharf offers 89 modern condos and a collection of amenities, including a waterfront park and a rooftop pool deck.
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December 17, 2024

REBNY sues to block NYC broker fee law

The Real Estate Board of New York sued the city on Monday to stop a new law that would shift the payment of broker fees from renters to landlords. The Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses (FARE) Act, which requires the party who hired the broker to pay the fees, became law over the weekend and takes effect in six months. In a lawsuit filed in Manhattan federal court, REBNY argues the FARE Act violates brokers' rights to free commercial speech under the First Amendment and will lead to "higher rents, fewer properties advertised, and decreased overall transparency of the markets for consumers."
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December 16, 2024

See inside $19.5M Dumbo penthouse, Brooklyn’s most expensive condo for sale

New photos released this week provide a first look inside the most expensive condo currently for sale in Brooklyn. On the market for $19,500,000, Penthouse B takes up the entire 32nd floor of Olympia Dumbo, a new 33-story luxury development at 30 Front Street with a sail-inspired design. The residence, which first hit the market in 2022, measures nearly 5,000 square feet and boasts viral-worthy 360-degree views of the Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan skyline, and beyond.
take the tour
December 13, 2024

Vote for 6sqft’s 2024 Building of the Year!

This year, New York City's residential market started heating up, particularly at the top. For the first time in two years, the city recorded sales exceeding $100 million, including a $135 million penthouse at the Aman New York and a $115 million penthouse at Central Park Tower. In addition to the nine-figure deals, new luxury developments sparked interest beyond Billionaires' Row, including a pink-wrapped condo in Fort Greene and an "urban-style resort" on the Williamsburg waterfront. Historic hotels and iconic office buildings entered new chapters, while long-anticipated projects, and some repeat Building of the Year candidates, either marked their completion or are finally nearing the finish line. 6sqft has narrowed our picks down to 16 of the most notable residential projects of the year. Which do you think deserves to be crowned the 2024 Building of the Year? Polls for our 10th annual competition will remain open through 5 p.m. on Friday, December 20. A winner will be announced on Monday, December 23. Happy voting!
cast your vote
December 10, 2024

Met Museum unveils design for new modern and contemporary art wing designed by Frida Escobedo

The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Tuesday unveiled the design for its new wing dedicated to contemporary and modern art. Designed by Mexico City-based architect Frida Escobedo, the five-story Oscar L. Tang and H.M. Agnes Hsu-Tang Wing, named for the couple who gave a lead donation of $125 million, includes a three-story base, a recessed fourth floor, and a further setback fifth floor, a scaled facade inspired by the 1971 masterplan from Roche Dinkeloo. The $500 million new wing will better connect to the rest of the museum's galleries and address accessibility and sustainability needs. The project, the first Met Museum wing designed by a woman in its 154-year history, will go through a public review process starting in 2025. It is expected to open in 2030.
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December 5, 2024

8 best spots for holiday lights in NYC

With Christmas trees illuminated, festive bars and restaurants decked out in tinsel, and seasonal markets in full swing, the holiday season has officially landed in New York City. In addition to gift-giving and Santa selfies, an easy way to get into the holiday spirit is by experiencing one of the city's many holiday light installations, whether it be in gardens, zoos, or on the Hudson River.
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December 4, 2024

One High Line penthouse sells for $47M

The most expensive Downtown deal of the year belongs to One High Line in Chelsea. According to public records, a penthouse at the Bjarke Ingels-designed condominium on West 18th Street sold for $47 million last month. Last June, the apartment entered contract after asking $52 million. According to CityRealty, Penthouse 36 is the most expensive apartment to sell at One High Line to date; another penthouse at the building asking $49 million entered contract in January but has not closed yet.
details this way
December 3, 2024

New York Public Library announces the best books of 2024

The New York Public Library has released its annual list of the best books of the year. The list, selected by committees and librarians who read hundreds of books across several genres, chose the best books of 2024 for kids, teens, and adults. This year, the library staff also released books about, or set in, New York City. The lists build on NYPL's century-old tradition of recommending the most-loved titles to New Yorkers of all ages, choosing books that reflect the city's diverse readership.
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November 26, 2024

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade by the numbers: Fun facts and figures

One of New York City's most cherished traditions returns on Thursday. The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will hit the streets of Manhattan for the 98th time on Thursday, November 28. As one of the city's biggest events (30 million people watch from home and 3.5 million in person), the parade kicks off the holiday season with giant character balloons, intricately designed floats, marching bands, and musical performances. Ahead of the big event, learn some fun facts and figures about the parade, from the number of volunteers (5,000) and the hours of work by the Macy's team (8,000+) to the number of new balloons (6).
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November 22, 2024

Fifth Ave celebrates 200th anniversary with car-free birthday bash

One of the world's most famous streets turns 200 this year. In 1824, the first section of Fifth Avenue opened, marking the start of its transformation from a country road to an iconic thoroughfare known for its upscale retail and residences and cultural clout. In celebration of this milestone, the Fifth Avenue Association and the City of New York announced plans to throw the Avenue a 200th birthday party on December 8, kicking off a year-long series of anniversary programming.
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November 20, 2024

46 affordable co-ops in Bed-Stuy for sale, from 206K

First-time homebuyers can apply to own an affordable co-op in Bed-Stuy through a new housing lottery. The Belle Gardens cooperative includes 46 newly constructed one- and two-bedroom apartments at four buildings in the neighborhood, including 37 Rochester Avenue, 20 Suydam Place, and 331-335 Ralph Avenue. New Yorkers earning 90, 110, and 130 percent of the area median income, and who have 10 percent of the purchase price available for the down payment, can apply for the apartments, priced from $205,827 for a one-bedroom.
how to apply
November 19, 2024

NYC’s best spots for Thanksgiving takeout

Life is stressful enough without having to also prepare an elaborate meal in a tiny New York City kitchen. Instead, order from one of the many restaurants offering special Thanksgiving takeout dinners and desserts. A few classic, comforting choices, like the Turkey Day feast with all the fixings from Bubby's and an Italian spread from Tino's Deli to less traditional options, including Kubeh's Middle Eastern-inspired meal and spicy fried chicken from Pecking House. Don't skip dessert, be it a jumbo chocolate turkey or a chocolate babka pie.
where to order
November 12, 2024

Deal reached to build 355-unit development across from Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Several years and project iterations later, a new mixed-use building will rise across from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Developer Continuum Company and Council Member Crystal Hudson reached a deal to develop a 10-story project with 355 apartments, 30 percent of which will be income-restricted, at 962-972 Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights. The revised rezoning proposal, approved by the City Council's subcommission on zoning on Tuesday, features additional changes to the roof slope to minimize shadows on the garden's rare plant collection.
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November 4, 2024

2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade: Everything you need to know

This month the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade returns for its 98th year, ushering in the 2024 holiday season in New York City. The parade, a century-old tradition, takes place on Thursday, November 28 at 8:30 a.m. and promises to be the biggest yet, with 17 character balloons, 22 floats, 15 heritage and novelty balloons, 700 clowns, 11 marching bands, and 10 performance groups, all made possible thanks to 5,000 volunteers.
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October 31, 2024

Live in one of Long Island City’s tallest towers, from $2,990/month

A 66-story in Long Island City launched a housing lottery this week, offering high-rise luxury living at a discounted price. Lumen LIC, at 43-30 24th Street, is a huge new rental designed by Hill West Architects and developed by Carmel Partners, with 938 apartments and over 17,000 square feet of ground-floor retail. New Yorkers earning 130 percent of the area median income can apply for the apartments, priced from $2,990/month for studios to $5,114/month for three-bedrooms.
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October 28, 2024

Adams proposes Meatpacking District development with 600 apartments, open space, and Whitney Museum expansion

Mayor Eric Adams on Monday unveiled a proposal to replace a Manhattan meat market with a mixed-use development with 600 apartments. The vision, dubbed Gansevoort Square, involves partially building on the lot of the Gansevoort Market Co-Op at the corner of Little West 12th Street and 10th Avenue in the Meatpacking District. The project calls for 600 mixed-income housing units, 300 of which could be affordable, a new open pavilion, and a possible expansion of the Whitney Museum of American Art.
details here
October 23, 2024

Judge orders Rudy Giuliani to give up Upper East Side penthouse

Rudy Giuliani must turn over his valuable possessions, including his Upper East Side penthouse, as part of a $148 million defamation lawsuit the former mayor lost in 2023, a judge ruled this week. In Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, Judge Lewis Liman said the former New York City mayor and lawyer for Donald Trump has seven days to transfer the possessions, which include, in addition to the apartment at 45 East 66th Street, a Mercedes-Benz, several watches, a signed Joe DiMaggio jersey, and more, to the two Georgia election officials he defamed, CNN reported.
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October 21, 2024

New York Liberty ticker-tape parade announced for Thursday

New York City will host a ticker-tape parade this Thursday to celebrate the New York Liberty winning their first-ever WNBA championship. The team clinched the 2024 title in a nail-biting game 5 on Sunday night, defeating the Minnesota Lynx 62-67 in overtime. Mayor Eric Adams announced the parade will take place at 10 a.m. on October 24 along the Canyon of Heroes in Lower Manhattan. If you can't make it to the parade in person, you can stream it via the Mayor's Office here.
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October 18, 2024

A bigger and better Pearl Street Triangle plaza opens in Dumbo

A plaza near the Manhattan Bridge in Dumbo has received a pedestrian-friendly makeover. The Dumbo Improvement District on Friday unveiled the newly designed Dumbo Archway Plaza, which enlarges the Pearl Street Triangle to create more permanent space for the public and less space for vehicles. New sculptural seating, custom umbrellas, and artwork have transformed the underutilized street and parking spot into a large plaza that seamlessly connects to the neighborhood's unofficial town square, the Archway under the Manhattan Bridge.
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October 16, 2024

Exhibition recreating Anne Frank’s secret annex opening in NYC

A full-scale recreation of the annex where Anne Frank spent two years hiding during World War II will be displayed in New York City next year. The Anne Frank House and the Center for Jewish History will present "Anne Frank The Exhibition," a replica of the rooms where Frank, her parents, sister, and four other Jews lived in secret to evade Nazi capture. Opening on January 27, the exhibition will include 100 original collection items from the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, including photo albums and poetry and letters written by Frank.
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October 15, 2024

$65M Sutton Place penthouse is highest on East Side waterfront

The penthouse in the tallest residential tower on the Manhattan East Side waterfront is now available. The first residential tower designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen, Sutton Tower rises 850 feet and contains 120 one- to five-bedroom condos with views stretching from the East River to the Atlantic Ocean. The residence with the best view, though, is Penthouse 80, which spans floors 80 and 81 and measures a whopping 9,100 square feet. The duplex just hit the market for $65,000,000.
see it here
October 11, 2024

New York City’s only revolving restaurant to reopen under Danny Meyer

Restaurateur Danny Meyer is reviving New York City's only revolving restaurant. Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG) and the New York Marriott Marquis Hotel announced plans to renovate and reopen The View, an aptly named bar and restaurant on floors 47 and 48 that opened in Times Square in 1985. The new menu will feature American classics with a "theatrical twist."
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October 9, 2024

Grimace joined Mets fans on the 7 train to Citi Field

From Pete Alonso's pumpkin to "OMG" signs, the New York Mets have had several quirky good luck charms that helped them go from below .500 at one point in the season to one win away from this year's National League Championship Series. Perhaps none greater than Grimace, the McDonald's mascot. To get to Tuesday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies, the purple cartoon character boarded a Citi Field-bound 7 train at Hudson Yards decked out in Grimace decals.
details here
October 9, 2024

NYC Council to host hearings on ‘City of Yes’ housing plan

The New York City Council will host two hearings on Mayor Eric Adams' City of Yes housing proposal this month before it heads to a final vote. Speaker Adrienne Adams announced the Subcommittee on Zoning and Franchises will hold two days of public meetings: October 21 reserved for testimony from City Hall officials and October 22 for public testimony. The speaker also said the Council will put forward its own "thorough housing action plan" that will consider "holistic solutions" in addition to zoning changes.
HOW TO SIGN UP
October 8, 2024

Primark opening first Manhattan store in Herald Square

Primark, the international clothing retailer known for its affordable prices, is opening its first store in Manhattan. The company announced on Tuesday plans to open a flagship location in Herald Square at 150 West 34th Street, between 7th Avenue and Broadway and across from the iconic Macy's store and Penn Station. The new storefront will replace an Old Navy store that has been there since 1999.
get the scoop